The present invention relates generally to a pulper device and, more particularly, to apparatus which is adapted to be used in conjunction with a pressureless pulper device for disintegrating waste paper. The use of pressureless pulping devices is well known. Reference may be had, for example, to West German Offenlegungschrift DE-OS No. 29 41 439, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto. The apparatus includes a forward or frontal admission conduit which is provided downstream of the pulper. A transport and disintegrating wheel is provided in the apparatus for producing therein a degree of turbulence in a predetermined axis of rotation which is essentially concentric to the entry opening to the apparatus.
With pulper devices of this type or similiar types which are used for processing bales of waste paper, there exists an inherent difficulty in removing constituent impurities and other contaminants from the pulper. Heretofore, it was necessary with the prior art devices to periodically shut down the pulper device and, using a separate material discharge pipe, drain the pulper. As described, for example, in West German Offenlegungschrift DE-OS No. 29 41 439, it was necessary to connect apparatus to the material discharge pipe which included rotary comminuting means to comminute the paper shreds which had been removed from the pulper and which had not as yet been disintegrated. It was found, however, that such rotary comminuting means also tended to comminute the contaminants particles and reintroduce them as well as the comminuted fiber components back into the pulper.
Additionally, such devices also tended to require extensive waste discharge systems requiring specific and relatively complex timed sequences in order to continuously provide and guarantee an efficient and smooth running pulper purification process. As such, it has been found that prior art systems were extremely expensive to operate and tended not to be completely safe for the average individual to operate.
In the utilization of such pressureless pulper devices, it has been found that a certain degree of turbulence develops due to the rotation of its rotor and it has been found that lightweight material tends to accummulate in the center portion of the pulper. This phenomenon has been advantageously used to remove certain impurities and contaminents since its has been found that such impurities tends to spin about and accumulate at the center of the pulper where they can be relatively easily removed by the use of a ragger rope which is introduced into the pulper. Heavier impurities are typically discharged from the bottom of the pulper by the use of a separate heavy impurity gate.
It will be appreciated that by the use of the apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to eliminate the need for the use of such a separate heavy impurity gate at the bottom of the pulper. Thus, it is possible to provide a substantially simpler and less efficient pulper device than devices heretofore used.